Kukla's Korner Hockey

Question: Do you have a particular fan in mind when you call a game? A guy alone in his car or working in the garage?

Answer: Bob Prince, who worked for the Pirates, gave me some great advice. He said to me, “You have a lot of shut-ins. People who can’t go out. People who can’t see.” He said, “Langey, you need to think of those people.”

Our game moves so fast, and we get caught up in it. But I always come back to that basic premise: You describe in as much detail as you can exactly what is happening, and what it looks like. You describe it like you’re talking to a blind guy.

Question: You’re known for your catch phrases, which you often shout over the goal buzzer. Some of those – “Michael Michael motorcycle!” or “She wants to sell my monkey!” – don’t make a lot of sense out of context. Where do they come from?

Answer: I built that off a guy named Bill King, who was in Oakland with the Raiders, and then the A’s. He would say “Holy Toledo!” whenever a big play was made, and it just drilled me. When I went to Phoenix, Al McCoy did the same thing. (McCoy, now the voice of the Phoenix Suns, shouts out “Shazam!” whenever a player makes a 3-pointer.)

It breaks up the monotony. It gives it a bit of flavor. And to be honest, when I have to work 82 games or more every year, I sometimes need a jolt to keep it going.